Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ended Leicester's six-year stint in the Premiership and maintained Manchester United's title hopes by scoring the only goal at Filbert Street.

Solskjaer settled a dull affair on 61 minutes when he netted his 22nd goal of the season. It was a disappointing end to Dave Bassett's brief reign as manager and the Foxes won just four of their 28 games under his charge.

Bassett is moving upstairs and it will be left to his assistant Micky Adams to mastermind the club's bid to win promotion back to the Premiership next season.

United will be much happier and the win keeps up the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool in the title race. Muzzy Izzet had missed this fateful day for Leicester with a hamstring injury, while Callum Davidson had returned after recovering from the same problem.

United made six changes and in addition to the injured trio of Roy Keane, David Beckham and Juan Sebastian Veron, Fabien Barthez, Ronny Johnsen, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ryan Giggs did not start.

It is not hard to see why Leicester will be playing Crewe and Rotherham next season. They have recorded the fewest wins in the league - just four; the fewest points - 22; and the fewest goals - just 19.

Indeed, Solskjaer has managed more. Before kick-off Ferguson presented Bassett with a cut-glass vase on behalf of the League Managers Association in recognition of chalking up 1,000 games as a boss.

If Leicester were going to be relegated in Bassett's final match, they at least wanted to go down with a flourish.

Their start matched the bright, sunny conditions and Carroll saved an early close-range shot from Brian Deane before Paul Dickov knocked an overhead kick wide.

Dickov, who had scored three goals in his last two games, went close again and the former Manchester City striker's right-foot shot was well blocked by Carroll.

Ian Walker then denied Paul Scholes before the United midfielder fired just over the top following great work by Forlan, who teed him up after a surging run and a one-two with Solskjaer.

Leicester's best chances continued to fall to Dickov and the little Scottish striker knows he should have done better five minutes before the interval.

Stefan Oakes floated a free-kick to the right, where Gary Rowett nodded the ball on for Dickov to knock his shot just over the bar.

Six minutes after half-time Ferguson brought on van Nistelrooy for Fortune in an attempt to pep up his side and Solskjaer moved out to the right.

Scholes continued to pepper the Leicester goal and he whistled a 25-yarder just past Walker's left-hand post.

Deane then squandered a great chance to put Leicester ahead when he headed Marshall's right-wing cross wide from just 12 yards out.

That miss looked all the more costly when United made the breakthrough on 61 minutes courtesy of Solskjaer's 22nd goal of the season.

Davidson could only head Phil Neville's throw-in to the Norwegian who chested the ball and swivelled on his left foot before firing home with his right from 12 yards out.

Leicester must have groaned when two minutes later United brought Giggs on for Forlan.

Undeterred Leicester struggled on even though they had less than half an hour left in the top flight and the game Piper fired narrowly over the visitors' bar.

With 13 minutes remaining Wes Brown came on for Irwin to make his return after missing the last four months with knee and ankle injuries.

By now United were coasting as Leicester appeared to have accepted the inevitable. Van Nistelrooy almost added to their plight when he fired narrowly wide in the dying minutes.